Introduction

This website contains a number of articles on football history during Charles Boyles work-life. The articles are intended to provide context and complement the site focus on Charles Boyles and his work.

The list below initially displays the most recent articles. You can browse further pages of articles by using the page movement tools underneath the articles listing below.

Athol Webb played in three VFL Grand Finals with Melbourne, at the height of the club’s Golden Era; and was a prominent and popular sporting figure of the 1950’s. It wasn’t just Athol’s break-neck speed and his ability to convert opportunities; but his willingness to sacrifice his own game, for the sake of the team, that made him such an important player with the Demons.

Jack Worrall, (Fitzroy player, Carlton/Essendon Coach), Test Cricketer and journalist, looks back at forty years of football. The original articles from 1923-24 appear over a number of weeks. (Formatting and sub-headings have been added to make to article easier to read.)

HAPPY is the football club with a good centre man. He can constantly put his team into attack. He can also be a defender. When the ball is bounced he often acts as a rover, and, as he and his immediate opponent stand on either side of the rucks, there are frequently openings in those periods. When the play moves on the two centre men watch each other closely, and frequently engage in hotly contested duels.

Footscray won the club’s VFL first premiership in 1954 and that historic day will live in the hearts of Footscray supporters forever. While Jack Collins led the charge against the Demons with seven goals; it was the ‘close up and personal’ performance of the Bulldogs’ half back line of Gallagher, Whitten and Martin that stopped the Melbourne forwards in their ‘tracks’ that day. This is the story of Alan Martin and his outstanding career in VFL and country football.

In this the eighth of a series of football dramas is described the Association’s greatest coup of 1908, by which, in American Fleet Week, they secured the Melbourne Cricket Ground on a public holiday for their final match, and attracted a crowd of 40,000 and a £1000 “gate” – both records that still stand.

In 1945 the Sporting Globe published Jim Makeham's record of football at the Changi Prison Camp. Further articles and books have followed but few appear to have been aware of this early article. This is a new look at football at Changi.

Football statistics are a key part of the modern game, but statisticians around the country have innovated since the 1920's in finding categories and perfecting the art. This article gives an insight into the history of Australian Rules football statistics.

In 1952, Collingwood Football Club officials told 16 year old Murray Weideman to ‘go away and come back’ the following season.........by the end of his career Weideman had played 180 games and coached 45 games for the pies, and yet more at West Adelaide. He was hard hitting and is an Australian Football Hall of Famer. This is his story.

In this, the ninth of a series of great football dramas, is described the first League-Association clash — St. Kilda v North Melbourne, in 1915. It was a hectic, grisly affair, reeking with spite and roughness, and with only occasional flashes of real football.

The 1925 VFL Grand Final was the first Australian Rules Grand Final to be broadcast over a newfangled device, usually called the wireless. 1925 was still the infancy of radio in Australia, broadcasting had only officially started in 1924. Outdoor broadcasts were new and exciting. It seems fitting that ‘out of town’ers Geelong won this historic encounter. This is the story of the evolution of Australian Radio leading to this historic game.

Eaglehawk Football Club was formed in 1880 and since then more than forty local players have graduated to VFL/AFL ranks including such well-known names as Rod Ashman, Alf Baud, Charlie Clymo, Des English, Ted Esposito, Bill Evely, Jarryn Geary, Ted Jinks, Damian Lock, Doug Palmer and Peter Pianto. This story, for Boyles Football Photos, is about Geelong’s dynamic rover of the 1950’s- Peter Pianto.

Peter Brown is an unsung footballer from the 1920’s and 1930’s. Peter’s story includes the periods in the VFL, VFA, Country football and later as a trainer, it includes individual achievements such as three premiership medals with Northcote in the VFA, to lows such as injuries and permit troubles at Footscray. Peters family scrapbook helps tell a fascinating story.

There are few old-timers who can still remember Lindsay White, Geelong's champion full-forward of the forties. To keep White's memory alive and to celebrate his amazing career, Ken Mansell has written another fine football song. Here Ken explains why he was inspired to compose 'The Ballad of Lindsay White'.

Malcolm Macpherson played for VFA club Williamstown in the 1940’s. Making his debut in Round One of the 1946 season, he soon became one of the Association’s most dangerous and effective small forwards. Aged 85 when this interview was conducted, Mal Macpherson recalls in vivid and acute detail some of the highlights of the VFA’s ‘Golden Era’.

In 1953, a 17 year old Ronald Dale Barassi entered the M.C.G. for his first ever VFL game, he would later become a legend of the game. The story of how Ron arrived at this first game in 1953, involves war, tragedy, rule changes and help from others. Ron was also not just the only youngster starting in 1953 and others came together to make the 1950's a golden era for the Melbourne Club. This is the story of Ron's first VFL steps.

The only thing faster than the speed of thought is the speed of forgetfulness. Vera Narazin’s quote is most applicable in regard to how the football commentators have overlooked the brilliant exploits of former Richmond centre man Eric Zschech.

Hopefully, this story will shed new light on the accomplishments of a young man who left Minyip and became a champion of Victorian and Tasmanian football.